"YRA Plants 'Green Roof' Technology for New Terminal"
"Construction of New Fire Station Will Begin Soon"
"City Building Is Going for the Green"
"Lehigh Wants 'Planted Roof'"
"Maryland Shopping Center to Be Green"
"Peekskill Finds New Use for an Old Landfill"
"Energy Efficiency Takes Center Stage"
"Searching for Clients From Above"
"Malta Receives First Solar Installation"
"Wells Fargo Loans $1 Billion for Green Projects"
"A Towering Energy Challenge: Builders Urged to Cut Office Demands 30 Percent"
"In Chicago, A Haven for Green Enterprise"
"Solar Panels Added to City Roof Options"
"Blue-Collar Buildings Go Green to Attract Tenants"
"Sustainable Design Takes on Local Look With a Green Hue"

In Wyoming, Yellowstone Regional Airport's new $7 million terminal may include a green roof system featuring low-maintenance native grass. CTA Architects is designing the new facility, with architect Jim Wertman playing a key role. Wertman notes: "It's called a 'green roof,' but this one would not be irrigated." He adds the grass will absorb both moisture and stormwater runoff. Additionally, it will absorb heat generated by the heat island effect emanating from the significant amount of asphalt that typically surrounds an airport terminal. Vegetation is planned in a trio of areas, including the front of the terminal and two spots in the rear. The terminal will be roughly 30,000 square feet.
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In Wisconsin, a bid has been awarded for the North Menomonie fire station, with construction slated to start by the end of August. The new station will feature an energy-efficient design that will incorporate such green features as motion sensors placed throughout the building; a white roof system that will reflect heat and light, reducing cooling costs; storm water management in the form of a rain garden, which will accept water from the building's roof; and energy-efficient furnaces and gas water heaters. The station will apply for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, which would make it eligible for certain grants that would defray the cost of construction.
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In early August, the Louisville, Ky., government issued a request for proposals to retrofit the roof system of the building that houses its Metro Development Center with a green roof system—the first for a government structure. Officials want plants and soil to replace tar and gravel to help reduce the urban heat island effect and prevent rain and other precipitation runoff from becoming a pollution problem. Louisville's first green roof system was installed at the Brown-Forman Corp.'s local headquarters two years ago. Since then, it has reduced the building's air-conditioning costs in the hot months and its heating costs during the winter. As part of a larger effort to promote rooftop gardens, Louisville is sponsoring an invitation-only workshop for architects and landscape designers this fall. Scheduled for Oct. 25, the event will feature Ed Snodgrass—whose Emory Knoll Farms in Maryland plays a key roll in developing green roof systems nationwide—as the keynote speaker.
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Pennsylvania's Lehigh University has filed plans to erect a new, 130,000-square-foot campus building that would feature a green roof system. According to Lehigh spokeswoman Dina Silver Pokedoff, the roof system would boast "ground cover" that will help regulate interior temperature and safeguard the underlying roof membrane from the damaging effects of extreme temperature changes and daily exposure to sunlight. Other potential benefits will range from reducing noise from the outdoors to serving as a habitat for local birds. Such roof systems do come at an added cost. According to Environmental Protection Agency officials, a typical green roof system can cost as much as $8 per square foot versus $1.25 per square foot for a traditional one. The new structure is part of newly installed Lehigh President Alice Gast's commitment to make the environment a campus priority, a goal that she outlined in her inaugural speech earlier this spring.
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Eldersburg, Md., will be home to the Mid-Atlantic region's first green shopping center. Dubbed Main Street Eldersburg, the 90,000-square-foot retail center will boast such special features as a high-efficiency heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system; strategically placed glass panels for natural interior lighting; and a possible green roof system. Developer Black Oak Associates Inc. is continuing to do research on whether to have a green roof system or a cistern water system that captures and reuses rainwater from the roof for such purposes as toilet flushing and landscaping. Black Oak aims to break ground in late August with a grand opening targeted for fall 2008. Traditionally, retail venues have lagged behind other property types in incorporating environmentally friendly features.
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The city of Peekskill, N.Y., has partnered with private developer William Eichengrum to cap a former municipal landfill and develop the town's first Class A office space in decades. The deal has been two years in the works. The plan is to develop a two-building office park on the former dump that will be ready for occupancy in 2009. Each of the two structures will offer approximately 93,000 square feet of space with blocks of office space to be leased at 5,000 square feet or larger. In addition, both buildings are expected to be certified under the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. Each will feature photovoltaic rooftop panels to generate electricity from solar power. The solar-electric system, coupled with such other features as a geothermal heating and cooling system, could slash tenants' costs by as much as 40 percent. Eichengrum has specialized in acquiring and upgrading residential sites and mixed-use developments. The Peekskill development marks his first foray into the office sector.
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The National Association of Manufacturers and the U.S. Department of Energy are collaborating on an effort to reduce energy consumption and implement green technologies at U.S. manufacturing facilities. The initiative will force manufacturers to rethink facility design. As a model, they can look at a Texas Instruments facility in Richardson, Texas, the first semiconductor manufacturing plant to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. The plant cost $321 million to build, including $2 million dedicated to green features like rooftop solar panels to power the facility's water heater, light shelves that utilize natural daylight and no turns in piping so less energy is required to push material through. Texas Instruments expects these features to reduce energy consumption by more than 20 percent compared to traditional semiconductor plants. It is exploring the feasibility of expanding the green initiative to other facilities.
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More and more companies are using services such as Google Inc.'s free Earth software to pull up aerial views of buildings they may be interested in purchasing, leasing space in or providing services to. Often, such mapping services save company scouts and other officials hundreds of dollars in travel expenses if they can determine a building is not right for their needs just from the views and data gleaned. Such services as Google Earth, Microsoft Corp.'s Live Search Maps and Zillow.com are among the leaders in providing access to aerial images of buildings taken by satellites and aircraft. In some cases, the technology enables users to take measurements and perform other functions. The various services are free though Google charges $20 a year or more for certain premium versions of Google Earth. Such services are enabling roofing companies, in particular, to take measurements of buildings and provide accurate estimates for those landlords interested in installing new roof systems. One company, in particular, is Saber Roofing, which recently turned down a job based on the steep slope of the structure's roof after viewing it via a Google Earth satellite image.
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In Malta, the Palazzo Falson Museum has installed a solar array on its rooftop, making it the first solar technology in the country. The solar roof system was financed by the Bank of Valletta along with HSBC Cares for Malta's Heritage Fund. The retrofit includes an Alwitra Solar Roofing Membrane. Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti President Maurice Degiorgio stated: "It gives us great satisfaction that today, just a few months after opening Palazzo Falson to the public, we are launching this environment friendly energy system, which should contribute towards the long-term sustainability of running this important heritage landmark."
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Wells Fargo confirms that it has financed an estimated $1 billion worth of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified buildings in 10 states. These loans have ranged from $10 million to $225 million each for a total of 19 projects ranging from schools to office complexes to multifamily developments. The buildings include such features as green roof systems, water-efficient landscaping and built-in recycling areas. Larry Chapman, Wells Fargo's head of commercial real estate, states: "We can help protect the environment by supporting the development of energy-efficient buildings. Wells Fargo has set ambitious lending targets and will continue to develop our expertise by training our lenders about green building practices." The bank recently loaned $42.7 million to Thomas Properties Group for the construction of a pair of three-story commercial buildings in Austin. Both are expected to win LEED certification.
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BOMA International is urging the commercial real estate industry to slash energy consumption 30 percent by 2012. BOMA officials say going the green route not only makes moral sense, it also will lead to greater cost savings for building owners and managers in the long run. As part of its "Seven-Point Challenge" campaign, the biggest real estate group in the U.S. also is urging builders and architects to take more of a leading role in the overall green building movement. BOMA officials hold up New York's Hearst Tower as a model of energy-efficient construction. The 46-story structure holds the distinction of being the first Manhattan skyscraper to be erected after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Since opening, the building has recorded savings of 26 percent in electricity usage and 10 percent in water as a result of such innovations as energy-saving "smart" elevators and a water collection system that recycles storm water for use in the structure's cooling system.
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A 93-year-old factory building in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood is set to become the Midwest's first shopping center for environmentally oriented retail stores and services. Dubbed the Green Exchange, the 250,000-square-foot loft building is owned by Baum Development. The company, owned by brothers Douglas P. Baum and David L. Baum, already has commitments for almost 30 of the 100 Green Exchange spaces. The prospective tenants—which will pay between $18 and $35 per square foot annually—include a green building supply firm, a treeless paper packaging operation and an electric vehicle dealer. Green Exchange also will boast such features as a green roof system, an energy-efficient heating and cooling system and a 60,000-gallon cistern on the ground floor designed to store rainwater to irrigate the various plants and grasses on the rooftop. The project has the support of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, who states: "Green Exchange is a great example of the public-private partnerships that are working together to help make Chicago one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the nation."
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In Columbia, Mo., the city has been researching solar power as a viable option for the rooftops of its expanded and renovated city hall buildings. The option will be presented as an alternative to the green roof and reflector roof system proposals already on the table. Assistant City Manager Tony St. Romaine notes that each of the three proposals would give the buildings the energy-efficient rating needed to qualify for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. Achieving this rating has been a stated goal of Columbia Mayor Darwin Hindman and several city council members. Architects who support the solar option state that solar panels' light weight means they can be added to both the existing roof of the 90-year-old Boone Building and its planned five-story addition. Of the solar option, St. Romaine comments: "There is a fairly easily identified payback with the energy we could basically capture and feed directly into the system." However, the cost of solar panels on the Boone Building addition—as well as the energy production of the panels—is difficult to project because the technology is still so new and dynamic.
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First Industrial Realty Trust of Chicago is testing the waters to see whether manufacturers and freight handlers will be as keen to lease space in energy-efficient buildings as office tenants. The developer is building its first green warehouse and distribution center in Lacey, Wash., featuring such amenities as recycled construction materials; a water-permeable concrete paving system that allows storm water runoff to percolate into the ground; and light-colored, heat-reflective roofing material. Although greening the project will add $300,000 to the $50 million development, not counting the $25,000 it will take to complete the paperwork needed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, lower operating costs will allow the project's developer to recoup the added costs in less than two years. Development manager Wayne Reisenauer adds: "Major corporations such as Starbucks have been demanding green buildings. The majority have been for office buildings but we believe this is transferring over to other areas." Murphy McCullough, senior development manager at Seattle developer Tarragon, which is seeking LEED certification for a warehouse distribution center it is building in Reno, Wash., agrees that green buildings are now in demand. But Bart Brynestad, head of Los Angeles-based Panattoni Development's Puget Sound operations, disagrees that now is the time for green industrial development. "Industrial users are not willing to pay extra for these green type things, although I think they will in the future," Brynestad says, noting that the industrial market is about five years behind the office market in the greening trend.
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Recycled materials are starting to play a larger role in building construction, leading to some surprising material alternatives. Wheat chaff, sorghum and sunflower hulls and stalks can be made into cabinet board; roofing shingles can be made from recycled rubber; and pressed paper can be turned into a hard material ideal for laboratory countertops, capable of surviving acid spills and other corrosive chemicals. Consultant Tom Taylor estimates that recycled materials account for about 15 percent of new and renovation construction. "People want to do business or live in a green building," says Lee T. Burford, an expert on sustainable design. "There are first-cost premiums, but there is also a payback associated with that." Ideally, materials used in green buildings do not contain petrochemicals or hydrocarbons and are byproducts of materials that are readily available close by. Taylor states: "If you're looking to source materials in the local economy, then you are supporting the local economy."
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